Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Petroliana Value Questions Antique galvanized Conoco 55 gallon drum.

I collect so much stuff that I'm decent at all but not an expert at any!. With that said, can anybody help with the rarity and or value of this old galvanized Conoco 55 gallon drum. It is a Continental Oil Co. that I found at an estate sale and couldn't pass it up! Any guess as to the 4-17 meaning or the other lettering? April, 1917? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Continental 55 Gallon Oil Drum


Top of oil drum

No Bling, $25-50

Well, that's OK, I paid less than that and am keeping it so all is good. I appreciate your help though. I do think it's real cool though. Are they that common? I love it and the few friends that have dropped in this weekend go right to it and love it also. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder!

Nice Plant Stand!
Someone removed the Brass Tag that was soldered on end.

They take as much room as a gas pump and like DB stated add no bling to a room/collection.

Almost a hundred years old and only worth $50.00 (on a good day)....that in itself should answer all questions and remove all doubt.

Nice outside piece sandwiched near by my old Wayne 515, my rare Pennzoil oval sign with round P's and O's in it's original frame, and my old oval gas pump green light thus making a nice little display! Valuable or not, I don't care! Looks good and completes the scene as one may have encountered it 100 years ago! More emphasis needs to go on looking cool and not just how much it costs or is worth in my humble opinion! I still have the first bottle I dug over 20 years ago (E.D. Pinaud-Paris) and I'll never get rid of it even though it's worth about a buck, one a good day!

Still hoping somebody can help me with the lettering and numbering and to their meaning. Thanks in advance!

I think you're right that the 4/17 is a date code.. March 1917... but I don't know what the other might be.

Maybe a container code and 5 might be a volume designation?

That barrel's design is pretty sophisticated for 1917. There were riveted metal and wooden oil tanks at that time. There are other reasons to mark manufactured products other than dates, such as the manufacturer, the specific factory and the machine that made it. The most valuable info was on the disc that is now missing.

The CC-5 might possibly mean Continental Can Company plant number 5. If it was a can produced in 1917 they might have used just the CC back then rather than the usual CCC that you see on later cans. The can manufacturing company does goes back to 1904 though I have not seen any early cans to verify the CC usage. As far as I am aware of Continental Can had no connection to Continental Oil except for maybe supplying some their containers. Cheers, Don.

I'm with JP on the date of barrel, made many years after 1917 Guesstimate.
In the late 20's early 30's arc welding replaced riveting.

Thanks all